Grignon Energie Positive: Ecological intensification for the society and the planet.

Origins and context of the « Grignon Energie Positive » programme

AgroParisTech’s experimental farm in Grignon
CropsCereals, fodder crops, grassland, energetic crops.
Where?40 km South-West from Paris. 546 hectares.
Processing and conditioningBottled milk, yoghurts and cream.
Cattle120 dairy cows > 1,2 million L milk/year.
500 meat sheep.
Direct sellingShop on the farm.
Education10 000 visitors/year: schools, general public, professionals.

Our sustainability ambition and goals:The “3 Ps”
PROFIT
Feed the planet
Positive energy farm
Carbon neutral farm
PLANET
PEOPLE

A greenhouse gas measuring and accounting tools panel
Static chambers to measure crops’ nitrous oxide emissions.
The environmental performance dashboard, to trace all incoming and outgoing flows on the farm.
Fitting necklaces to measure cows’ methane emissions.
PerfAgro P3, simulating the impact of the implementation of different technical options on three parameters: Profit, Planet and Population.
Gas chromatography to measure out greenhouse gas.

Results of the 1st carbon assessment of the farm in 2006
Total : 17 000 000 MJ fossil fuel and 2 800 tons eq. CO2 in 2006.
=
Fossil fuel consumption of 100 persons ;
Greenhouse gas emissions of440persons.
=
The Grignon farm feeds 7500 to 9500 persons.

Results of the 1st carbon assessment of the farm in 2006
Main fossil fuel consumptions items.
Main greenhouse gas emissions items.

Actions taken since 2005
Introduction of more legumes in crop rotation.
High milk productivity/cow (approx. 10 000 L milk/cow/year).
Minimal soil work (no till whenever possible).
Cows grazing when they are not in production.
Energetic crops field trial.
Improvement of the agricultural waste management practices.
Cattle diet change (rape cake, industry co-products…).

The path to progress….
Greenhouse gas emissions(g. eq. CO2/L milk)
Fossil fuel consumption(MJ/L milk)
- 40%fossil fuel consumption
-17%greenhouse gas emissions

The Grignon yoghurt fossil fuel and carbon profile in 2008
*Agricultural production: item including the production of milk at the Grignon farm (60%) as well as the milk powder incorporated to the yoghurts (40%).

An example of innovation:Chaff* harvest
*Chaff is made up of glumes, hulls, unthreshed heads and pods, short straw, leaf material, and whole or cracked kernels or seeds from cereal, oilseed and pulse crops. Weed seeds are also a major component of chaff.

The “triple win” benefits of chaff harvest
Partial weeding > less herbicides use
Helps soil work minimization > less fossil fuel consumption
Can be used for animal feed or as renewable energy in a biomass boiler > optimization of the global energy balance
4% decrease
+ 300 persons

An example of innovation:Biomethanization
Biomethanization or biogasification is the process of decomposing biomass with anaerobic bacteria to produce biogas.
Farm waste
Heat + electricity
Urban waste: restaurants grease, grass-cutting, etc.

Biomethanization: a “triple win” industrial ecology project
In 2012 a biomethanization unit will use 10 000 tons of cattle and diverse urban waste to produce 660 toe renewable energy. The Grignon farm will produce more energy that it needs. 81% of the current total carbon emissions will be avoided thanks to this project.

The importance of communications to involve all the stakeholders
> The professionals

The importance of communications to involve all the stakeholders
> The young generation